Brendon McCullum surpasses 1,000 Test runs in calendar year

Captain Brendon McCullum became the first New Zealand batsman to score 1,000 test runs in a calendar year as he guided the hosts to 215 for four at tea on the first day of the first test against Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Friday.

Christchurch: Captain Brendon McCullum became the first New Zealand batsman to score 1,000 test runs in a calendar year as he guided the hosts to 215 for four at tea on the first day of the first test against Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Friday.

McCullum also brought up the fastest test century by a New Zealander, off 74 balls, before he went to the break on 102 while Jimmy Neesham was on nought.

McCullum had needed 31 runs to reach the 1,000 mark and brought it up with a six over long off in a typically aggressive innings.

McCullum thought he had reached his century when he blasted a six off debutant off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal, but he was actually a run short. A review of a leg before appeal showed he had hit the ball but the two runs were left as leg byes and not credited to his personal score.

Having acknowledged the crowd he then realised he was still on 99 and brought up the century on the next ball.